Joseph h



JLH. JENNINGS. RUBBERBOOT FOR HORSES. V No. 65,231. N tented May 28, 1867.

amt tatrsstmt Hm.

JOSEPH H. JENNINGS, or CAMBRIDGEPORT, 'MASSAGHI TSETTSQ Letters Patent No. 65,231, dated flfay 28, 1867'.

mrsovim RUBBER BOOT ros HORSES.

10 ALL WHOM IT MAY oonosnm Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. JENNINGS, of Cambridgeport, in the county of Middlcsex', and State of Massachusetts, have invented a. Rubber Boot for Horses, of which thc'following is a full, clear, and eeract description, reference being hadto the accompanying. drawings, making part of this specification, inn-blah- Figure 1 is a perspective view-oi my rubber boot for horses. 3

Figure 2 is a central verticalsection through the same on the line a: z.

The object of my invention isto all'o'rd a means by which various-ailments which affect the boots and lower parts of the legs of horses may be treated for cure.

My invention consists in a rubber covering titted to enclose the entire hoof, when provided with a leg or 1 upward extension therefrom, which is slit longitudinally to allow the expansion or opening of said'lcg so as to aduiit the hoof into that part of the boot designed to receive it, and which is provided with means for drawing towards each other the slit or severed parts of the leg. To retard or prevent escape of perspiration from the enclosed parts, or to prevent escape of any fluid or semi-F. aid matter which may be pouredor placed in the'boot to surround the hoof and leg, a lisp, lip, or'-tonguc is made use of to pack the opening in the leg made by the slit.

-I prefer to have this tongue of rubber, or of rubber cloth, and to have it form a part ,of'the boot, and be located within the leg. Still, if it is made as a separate piece, and is appliedupon the outside of the leg so as to cover the slit therein, it will perform its function, though in an inferior manner.

In the saiddrawingsithe shank or-leg portion A of the boot is shown as made from a shcet oi' rubber cloth cut into pieces of the required size and shape, and united, in a well-known 1nannor, around a thick block of rubber constituting the sole B, thus forming the pattern of boot desired. a are metal eyelets which are placed at suitable distances apart within the front portions 1) of the leg of the boot, which are made thicker than its sides, and are brought together so as to close the opening betwcen thein by means of a leather-lacing a passing through the eyelets a. dis a strip of rubber fastened to the leg portion at e, and serves as a lap for more eii'ectually closing the opening between the portions 6, and excluding the air froin the foot. If a horse's foot is attracted with, any complaint, such as quitter-bone, contraction 'of the heel, sand splits, or should the hoof not grow fast enough to compensate for the operation of cutting it down to fit the iron shoe, it is ohly necessary to allow the horse to rest, and place the boot upon thc foot, when the opening between the portions 6 should be snugly closed by stretching the flap over it and drawing up the lacing c, by which means the inflammation is entirely drawn away from the parts affected, the rubber fitting around the parts so closely as to check the-escape of perspiration, and thus causethc'enclos'ed parts to be surrounded with or bathed in moisture. If the boot be larger than necessary for the foot it encloses, a' poultice of bran and water'may be inserted within the boot, thus'superseding.the-necessity of s tufling. the-foot with'linsecd meal, cow-dung, clay, etc., and more cll'oct ually keeping the poultice in place upon the foot. If the horse's foot has become liard by standing upon a dry surface, the foot may be placed in the boot and water poured therein, whereby the horn is-softcned, and the frog made tender and elastic,'care.bcing taken, however, to remove the boot before the foot is boileil" or drawn too much. The contact of the rubber with the leg in cases ofsplint" is especially beneficial. I claim for the curative treatment of the hoofs and lower parts of the logs of horses, a rubber boot con.- structed and arranged substantially as specified. Y

J. H. JENNINGS.

Witnesses:

P. E. Tssennusousa, N, W. S'rmnns. 

